The present invention is directed to a switch mechanism for switching signals from inputs to outputs thereof and is directed to switching networks for interlinking first and second transmission media.
Switching networks for interlinking a plurality of first transmission media with a plurality of second transmission media are known in the prior art.
For example, multi-stage switching networks composed of pure time stages are known from E. Hoelzler, H. Holzwart, "Pulstechnik", Vol. 2, Springer Verlag, 1984, page 378. Analogously thereto, such arrangements can be exclusively constructed of frequency stages in the OFDM optical frequency division multiplexing domain. An example of this is a known architecture by Fujiwara et al. (see M. Fujiwara et al., A Coherent Photonic Wavelength Division Switching System for Broadband Networks, Journal of Lightwave Technology, Vol. 8, No. 3, 1990, pages 416-422). This switching network is of the Clos type (see B.S.T.J., Vol. 32, pages 406-424) and the individual switch stages employ frequency-position interchangers. It is mainly complicated in that a switch between space-division and frequency-division multiplexing occurs far more often than necessary.